New Academic Building On Track for a Fall 2021 Opening
Students, faculty and staff returning to campus this fall were struck by the transformation of the construction site for the new academic building.
When the University moved to remote instruction in March, the site in the center of campus consisted of little more than piles of dirt. Now, the steel frame is up and the outline of the building is quickly taking shape.
The 60,000-square-foot building is on track to open in Fall 2021 and will contain state-of-the-art labs and learning spaces for programs in the College of Engineering, Technology and Architecture and the College of Education, Nursing and Health Professions.
WHAT’S NEXT?
Since the spring, crews from Whiting-Turner construction company have relocated the underground utilities, built the foundation wall, and are now erecting the steel frame. Over the next two to three months, crews will be working on the exterior “envelope,” finishing the building’s exterior cladding, siding and roofing. “The goal is to get the exterior weather-tight by December so that work can begin on the interior over the winter,” said Chris Dupuis, assistant vice president for capital planning and management in Facilities.
The overall project also includes renovations to Dana Hall and United Technologies Hall. That work is out for bidding now, and construction is expected to start in the summer or fall of 2021. Dupuis explained that much of the lab equipment will need to be moved out of Dana and UT to the new building before renovations can begin.